Rowing race



R. SATO AND 0. MATSUI.

ROWING RACE.

APPLICATION FILED mus. 1921.

1,425,058. Patented Aug. 8, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

| NVENTOR S R. SATO AND C. MATSUI.

RUWI'NG RACE.

APPLICATION FILED mus, 1521 Patented Aug. 8, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

II M W A, ta) m o zwz UNITED STATES iRYUJ-I SATO AND CHIYOSABURC M'ATSUI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ROWING RACE.

Application filed January 15, 1921.

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we. RYUJI SATO and CHIYosAnnRo MATsUr, subjects of the Emperor of Japan, residing at New York city, respectively, in the county of New York, respectivelygand State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rowing Races, of which the following is aa specification.

This invention relates to rowing races or games for use in amusement parks, and one of the objects is to provide a device of this nature with improved operating means.

Another object is to provide automatic throw of]? mechanism for the operating means.

Another object is to provide means ttor giving a life like simulation of rowing.

Another'object is to provide means for lifting and lowering the oars.

WVith these and incidental objects in view which will he more "apparent as the specification proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel construction and combination and arrangements of partsdthe essential features of which are hereinafter fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying dra wing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved boat race.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on line2-+2 of Figure 1.

Figure '3 'is an enlarged detail perspective view of the oar controlling cams.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in all views.

Referring to the drawing in detail. 1 0 represents a tank which may be of amysn'i'teible size. shape and material and is water tight so that the boats hereinafter described may appear to be floating therein.

In the drawings only a single boat and control are show-n, but it is to be understood that any number'may he used and that each will he a duplication of the sumeshown and described.

Mounted on the bottom of the tank 10 are rails 11 which are preferably of channel bar with the channefls facing each other. In these channels ride wheels 12 of a carriage 13 having at its top a block 14 shaped to represent a racing boat. A line 15 has one end secured to a spring roller 16 and its other end secured to the boat 14- so as to normally draw said boat against the end of the tank. A spring 17 connects a line 18 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1922.

Serial No. 437,445.

with the other end-ofthe boat 14, said line .18 being operable by means hereinafter described, to effect movement of said boat against the tendency of said spring 'rdller.

A slide member 19 is mounted to reciprocate longitudinally in said boat body, and is connected pivotall-y to one end of a link 20 having its other end ecoentricelly pivoted :to the end of a drum or double pulley 21. Lines '22 and'23 are secured to'the upper and lower portions cf drum 21 and have their other ends secured to opposite ends of the tank 10; Rising from snare T9 :are a plurality of fi u res 24 representin' the body portions 0 mien provided 'w'i arms jointed at 26 and having-oars 27 'secured to the hand portions. Them o'atrs are swiveled in brackets 28. It will readilfy be seen that es the boat is drawn across the tank, the figures 24 will the oars'bek and rforth.

In order to make the oars dip into the water and then rise out et "the we'ten a member 29 is secured to the edge of the boat and comprises an u percainism faeeee and which bears upon the eams riding up 30 and being then forced down by "81 during the back and iorthstrolre *o f the oars et; his to cause them to dip into-the water in one The cam 30 has a 5101130 out in its outer edge and od? suifit-ient size to permit the free passage oi pin 33, e'nd cam 31 terminates short of the vertical plane of slot 30*. As

direction and rise above it in the other.

the finger rides up the cam-e0 the oars are dipped into the water. As the finger 33 passes "the upper end of'catm 30, the bi'ieymicy of the car ralises'the outer 'end of the oar. lowering finger 33 into active releliio'n with cam 31. 3] presses element 83 down l ifting the l'rlar'le of the oar above the water. V /hen finger 53 completely traverses ca rn 31, the weight of the blade and leverage of parts causes finger On the return stroke. earn to more up through slot 3f) *to the initial manually operated by handle 39 or automatically operated by a motor 40 and in either case effects the oscillating of members 34 into and out of the path of the boat 14.

5 The skill of the operator is here called into play in not blocking movement of his boat by trying to force it against the obstruction and in quickly passing over the same as it is lowered.

Theline 18 passes out of the tank and cover a r-pulley 41 suspended from a spring 42, then over a pulley 43 and has its end secured to a drum 44 having secured to its upperface a clutch member 45. The drum is loosely mounted on a vertical rod 46 upon the upper end of which is secured a manual operating wheel 47 Rod 46 may be ,of squarecross section and slidable thereon isa. lutch sleeve 48 which is supported in a bearing formed by a band 49 which is ,seated in :an annular groove in the shank ofsleeve, 48and is fastened to a bar 50 extendin across the machine. Springs 51 norma y hold bar 50 elevated so that sleeve 48 is out of mesh from member 45 and rod Afi ,mayturn without effecting rotation of csi ewers 52ers pivoted to the base, one

being provided with a handle 53. Fingers 54 extend from levers 52 over bar 50 and a ,har,.55 is ipivotally connected to levers 52. iA- springntifi tends constantly to hold the ;memb9 S- .inthe full-line position in Figure flhiln moviinghandle 53 to the dotted-line iii-position, it IS caught and retained by a zsprin gi fingier 57 arranged in juxtaposition an electric magnet 58 by means of which the lever 53 is released automatically as will ,begresentty described.

1M, battery or ot-her source of electrical energy is shown at 59 and has one terminal connected by; a wire 60 with one of the bind ,ingposts of'the magnet 58. A wire 61 leads iilomwthe other terminal of the battery :1

plurality of signal lamps 62 there being one lamp62 for each boat 14. A wire 63 connests each lamp 62 with OHS blHdlHg post arespective switch 64,'while the other binding post of each switch is connected by a, respective wire 65 with a trunk line'iifi connected to the other binding post of the ma net. The blade 67 of the switch is car- "ri 'by anarm of a lever 68 pivoted at (38) and connected by a link 70 with the upper 66 ;arm of a .lever 71 the lower arm of which s adapted to be struck and operated by the respective boat 14. A spring 72 tends constantly to throw the blade 67 to inoperative position.

When the boat finishes its course, it strikes and operates lever 71 which through link 70 and lever 68 closes switch 64, whereupon the respective signal 62 is lighted and the magnet 58 is energized to release 53 whereby clutch 48 is raised and the boat is returned by roller 16.

llYhile we have described what is deemed to be the most desirable embodiment of our invention, it is obvious that many of the details may be varied without in any way departing 'from the spirit of our invention, and we therefore do not limit ourselves to the exact details of construction herein set forth nor to anything less than the whole of my invention limited only by the appended claims.

lVhat is claimed as new is 1, In a device ofthe class described, the combination of a tank, a boat mounted for movement. in said tank, manual means for moving said boat in said tank, a slide bar mounted in said boat, manikins mounted on said slide bar, oars pivoted on said heat, operative connections between the manikins and said oars and means for automatically reciprocating saidtslide bar to cause said ma ikins. to operate said oars upon operation of said manualmeans 2. In a device of the: class described, the combination of a tank, a boat'mounted ifor movement in said tank, manual means for moving said boat in said tank, a slide bar mounted in said boat, manikins mounted on said slide bar, oarspivoted on said boat, operative connections between the maniltins and said oars; means ,for automatically reciprocating said slide bar to cause saidmanikins to operate said oars upon operation of said manual means, and automatic means for returning said boatito normal position.

3. In a device ofthe'class described; the combinationpf a tank, a boat mounted for movement in said tank, manual means for moving said boat in said tank,"a slide bar mounted in said boat, manikins mounted on saidslide bar, oars pivoted on said boat, operative connections betweenthe manikins and said oars, means for automatically reciprocating said slide bar to cause said manikins to operate said oars upon operation of said manual means, and means for eiIecti-ng a raising and clipping of the oars to simulate rowing.

In testimony whereof we have afiixed our signatures.

RYUJI SATO. CHIYOSABURO MATSUI. 

